I do think there’s a double standard, and I think lots of things are coming into play.
Jackson has been regarded as a freak for some time now. Allegations against him have the effect of confirming people’s suspicions about him. If he’s convicted, people get to be right about him, and that’s a powerful thing.
I do think the sex of the victims matters to many people. Some people seem to think that if it’s a girl she wanted it to happen, and even if she didn’t at least it’s not as weird or unnatural as if a boy is molested. These are often the same people who seem to think that molestation or other sexual crimes are a result of the perpetrator not gettin’ any. To paraphrase the argument: “If only priests were allowed to get married, they wouldn’t go after little boys.”
There may be hints of racism, too. Some of Jackson’s freakiness is his appearance–his apparent attempt to deny his heritage and turn into a “white” person. That can make white people think he’s ridiculous and black people think he’s traitorous. At least, one friend of mine views him as being, well, traitorous isn’t quite the right word. She views him as being embarrassing, I guess, though that’s not exactly the right word, either.
When I was in jr. high, I was a scary Jackson fan, so I’m mortified by his antics now. They reflect on me, or so it seems to my stupid little brain. I think there may be lots of people in my situation who react even more violently than normal because we have this weird sense of shame about the guy.
Julie